BAFB family feels effects of government shutdown

2013-10-02T22:41:37Z2013-10-02T22:41:37Z

BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) -

Some Ark-La-Tex residents are already feeling the impact as lawmakers search for a solution to the budget stalemate.

Melanie Windmann's husband is assigned as a civilian to Barksdale Air force Base, in charge of checking ejection seats in B-52's. The government shutdown has him furloughed and working for free until Congress straightens everything out.

"Our initial reaction was like everybody else, what's going to happen?" said Windmann and explained that they are adjusting by trying to cut back on spending. Unfortunately it's not the first time, only a few weeks ago Windmann's husband got through a several week long furlough. "When you have bills to pay, a mortgage, insurance, child support, it all adds up," she said and explained that because of the nature of his job, he still has to report to work, even though he won't receive a paycheck until a federal budget is passed.

"If you are going to make the whole government shutdown, then the Congress, the Senate and our President shouldn't be paid either," Windmann said and adds that they don't have much money set aside, but they will be able to make it through if the shut down is very short. Her real concern lies with the younger military civilian families who rely on a regular paycheck. "The kids living paycheck to paycheck they don't have anything extra, everything goes to right then and there," said Windmann, who hopes the shutdown won't last very long and has a message for the lawmakers at the nation's capital. "Quit the bickering, it's not worth it, you're [Congress] is ruining the United States as a whole," said Windmann.

Barksdale confirms out of the 1,367 civilians assigned to Barksdale, 872 have been furloughed.

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